THE SHOE CRISIS
by VisitorNo.18
Summary: The problems of being a top-secret anti-government association comes with the amount of supplies, the scarcity of weapons, the rationing of food and the lack of funds. And while Sabo understands this, it doesn't mean he'll accept it as that. In which it became a practice for Sabo to steal the shoes of the dead and give it as presents to the Revs.
1. That Stage Where We Out Grow Our Boots

**THE SHOE CRISIS**

The first time Sabo complained about his clothes in the Revolutionary Army was when he was 15 and Koala was 16. Due to their completely expected growth-spurts, the two young revolutionaries had to change their clothes once every quarter. If it wasn't due to height, it was because of their expanding chests and thighs and hips and everything else they were starting to awkwardly notice about each other, which Sabo would still rudely point out and get a punch or a slap to the cheek in return.

While the Revolutionary Army had a very generous sponsor in providing clothes with a tasteful design in everything secret agent, okama, noble wear, rogue crusader, soldier uniform and everything that would go well in layers, they did not have a sponsor on shoes and were required to purchase or use the second hand sets of them at the supplies center.

Sabo and Koala had a very sturdy pair of boots for themselves during their youth, their size 4s were outgrown and given to those who can fit it… which leaves them with borrowing every boot that they find in the second-hand center.

"Can't we just ask for funds to buy shoes Koala?" Sabo whines as he throws another stinky worn-out pair of shoes away from him. The sole of the boot being ridden with nails, a fact he had to find out the hard way.

"Budget's tight right now Sabo, and Hack said we're likely to outgrow a pair we buy now, so we should just wait it off till we've grown into our bodies after…" she scrunches her nose at the annoying part of their lives she swears she would never talk about again, "…puberty." She says distastefully as she pulls off the ugly worn lace-up brown boots she'd been trying on, only to realize the heel was no longer stuck on tight and there was a hole where the leather should've been stitched on the wooden layer of the heel.

"Koala?" Sabo had asked as she kicked away the boot she was trying, hitting the pile she'd tried and realized were broken badly. Once again searching through the second-hand sets available.

"What?" She'd asked, annoyed.

"What size are your boots now?"

"Ugh, 6.5. I used to be size 4 for goodness sakes. What happened that my feet got so big all of a sudden? -Quit laughing!" She'd scolded Sabo, threw him a boot she didn't need and missed. The terrible aim just another thing he laughed at, along with her predicament. He also had the same problem, but more of the fact that his feet had magically grown to size 8.5, which got him a whole stash of used and worn boots from great revs of the past. Sabo still scrunches his nose, they may be great revs but their shoes stank like sewage.

"I estimate you'd grow into size 9 or 10 by the end of it all." Koala jabs.

Sabo shrugs, questioning how his small feet suddenly became massive and wondering if it was in any way hereditary. Sadly, he remembers nothing of his past, his parents or his birthplace. His mind returns to the present stack of shoes and the predictions of Koala, he finds himself always talking back to her, the needed to have the last words. "And what does that mean for you?" Koala throws the other boot, hitting the blonde squarely on his chest this time. It must have hurt a bit, those boots did have wooden heels. Sabo winces but says a quick apology before he resumes his task of trying on boots for himself.

To answer that question, it would just mean Koala would need a size 7.5 or something by the end of the day. A size that doesn't come so often in the second-hand center. For once in his life, Sabo wished he had a personal fund where he could buy the things he wants, or rather- needs. Or maybe, he can trade for them?

* * *

The idea came to him when they had just finished liberating an enslaved nation from their militant dictator. The soldiers of the country were well stocked with good weapons and gear, and the boots the dead soldiers wore were barely used and still good despite the layer of dirt and blood and other things on them.

So Sabo stalks the field of corpses and finds a young man about his age, with boots practically the same size that he needs. The youthful soldier was stabbed in the guts and bled to his death. The blood was sinking into the dusty soil, absorbed by his shirt and pants and thank goodness the boots were still salvageable.

Of course, he wasn't so heartless as to simply take the diseased guy's boots. No, that would be disrespectful and stupid. The guy could haunt him in his sleep and he'd likely die in his slumber if that were truly to happen. Sabo was in no way religious, but still, uncanny things happen in the Grand Line all the time, so it's better safe than sorry to steal from a corpse. It would be no better than grave robbing, and Sabo wasn't so desperate as to steal from the dead.

So he placed his hands together and prayed for the peacefulness of the soldier's soul and asked for his boots. Then after that, took out a peace offering, a broken silver watch he'd obtained from town and made a trade with the dead soldier. His boots for a watch. Simple right?

And Sabo went back to Baltigo with a new pair of boots which he eventually outgrew and donated to the second-hand center. Then the next pair he had were obtained the same way, and the next and many more to come.

* * *

Koala's birthday present from Sabo were a pair of expensive looking boots.

Good sturdy brown leather, shiny and polished, high boots that reach just below her knees and sturdy looking laces that looked too high-end for her keeping. She grabbed the smiling boy by the collar and demanded where the fuck did he steal them from.

"Koala, how could you? Accuse me of theft? I didn't steal them! I would never!" She was not convinced. "I traded them with a silk shawl and a golden shawl ring." Sabo explained.

"And where did you say you get the shawl and the gold ring?"

"I may have borrowed them from an un-manned stall." Sabo scratches the back of his head. Ready for the ear-full he'd be receiving from Koala.

"You are Impossible!" The only thing she says as she sighs and lets him go. The blonde takes the little mercy and goes, screaming his happy birthdays and best wishes to his best friend.

Well, she doesn't have to know where exactly he got them from. Rather, who's dead body he literally pulled them off as they were high boots. And he was so lucky that the tyrant princess' face was the only thing that got smashed by the falling debris of her own castle when they attacked. Otherwise, Koala may have thrown the boots right back at him once she sees blood.

* * *

"Sabo. What are these?" Dragon asked his soon-to-be second in command. His tone was flat, neutral, not at all accusing; but it's Sabo, and he was ready to hear the story of why they had 15 crates of military boots at their disposal. They were a bit dusty, some second hand and some new, but they were leagues better than the ones at the second-hand center.

"Men's military boots." The blonde answers as he opens another crate and distributes the contents to the young boys still training to become Revolutionary soldiers. The young boys thank him as they return to the barracks where they could try on their new boots. The quality much better and sturdier despite being second hand. Just big enough for them to grow into.

"I can see that. Where did you get them?" The leader asks again.

"Oh, they are… donations"

"Donations…" Dragon raised a brow, not impressed. What devastated, in-need country suddenly had the funding to donate their military boots to the Revolutionary Army? They were still good and useable. They would cost a pretty penny and it was questionable. Something sketchy was going on, and Dragon didn't want to think the boy he was thinking of promoting to Chief of Staff was caught between something he shouldn't be dealing with.

"Donations from the corrupt military kingdom of Jonggula who's whole army was annihilated by our troops the other day. The country who forced all its male citizens to join their armies, killed the ones who they deemed weak, raped its women and neglected their children." Sabo explains. "And who's government spent hundreds of Belli for their military purposes."

Dragon grits his teeth but keeps a stern face. The injustice of it all. He wished he'd been there to crush their kingdom's government instead.

"Right." Dragon leaves, more confident that his cause was the best hope this rotten world had against the World Government and the leaders they assigned and let loose to the people.

Sabo sighs, glad that Dragon didn't pry further. Else he'd find out the story of how Sabo had taken the ill-gotten coins from the Jonggula treasury, melted the coins to make them into jewelry and chains (because its better to reconstitute stolen things) then traded them for the second hand boots of the soldiers crushed by debris and brought them back here specifically for the teenagers to use when they're going through the awkward growing phase.

He really didn't want other people to experience that time he and Koala had taken the whole week scavenging for good boots they could wear. Now he'd just dispose of every worn, torn and irreparable shoes in the center and start collecting more second had boots for the future generations. Even if it means prying them off the feet of cold dead evil men and women.

* * *

_**Author's Notes:**_

**I am back for a short time only. I am busy changing jobs and I'm writing Revs now. So far I've written Ace & WBP, Germa, North Blue boys **and** now Revs. Tell me if characters are off, or there's something off with spelling and emotions and stuff. I seem to think my stories have no impact whatsoever, and I could use some good criticism right about now.**

**Anyway, ENJOY! Thanks in advance to my readers, followers, commenting readers, and favoriting readers! **


	2. The Phantom Shoe Thief

**THE PHANTOM SHOE THIEF**

The first time Sabo hears the legend of the Shoe Stealer was during the recon trip to Sabaody Archipelago.

They were just about done and were heading back to the ship when Krooney, one of his intelligence men, suggested one trip to the usual bar he goes to just for the heck of getting other information that wasn't related to slavery and Celestial Dragons. The bar Krooney proposed was one of the seedier bars in Grove 8 where the outlaws, criminals, muggers and murderers alike went to for the cheap booze. It seems that Krooney was particularly close to the barman whom Sabo recalled was named Albert.

The Unicorn Herd was a seedy bar, not as inviting as its name, and certainly not hosting creatures as pure and innocent as unicorns. None the less, the wooden exterior of the bar was kept maintained, and if there weren't any drunkards outside, the bar would seem like one of those reputable establishments despite being located in one of the more crime-ridden groves.

When Sabo and Krooney entered, they were met by the loud drunken bellowing of an old man, telling the tale of some kind of shoe stealing ghost during the time of Gold Roger. He was loud, scrawny and old. Wasted and flushed in the cheeks. Screaming at the laughing youth who doesn't believe his tale.

"It's True! The Legends of a Shoe Stealer Started in Shouth, no.. wait- it wash the Easht! Goldie Rogher came fro-m the Esht, righ? Yeah…. Wes Blue. That… Steals fro the nobality an corrup-ed officials and an and… gives em to da poor! The stealer killsh the corrup and-an gets Der shoes andddd to the poor sods wit nothin' to dear name."

Sabo raises a brow, curious, yet expression hidden under the shadow of his hat. A Robinhood-esque fellow? And why does the shoe stealing gig sound so familiar?

"It's not a lie though. The old man isn't totally bonkers." Albert the bar owner says to the patrons on the bar counter. "Just last week, we heard news of a princess whose face was crushed by falling debris, and the traveling merchants said that when they found her body, her shoes were missing, and instead, replaced by a bangle on her ankle and a piece of cloth that tied her feet together."

"Could she have been just... I dunno, robbed?" A man asks, Albers shrugs his shoulders. "I think it's weird. I mean, who would rob a princess' shoes, and not her bangle and maybe her bracelets and jewelry? If it were a normal thief, wouldn't they have taken all her accessories?"

"ITZ THE SHOE STEALER!" The old man yells, then takes a gulp of his ale before coughing up his lungs.

"I heard a different story in Wiswondsa. About a strange case of a guy who got stabbed and lost his shoes. I don't know much about it, but I heard the guy was a pretty violent kid when he was young, and he was cursed by a witch when he killed her pet or something." A young man with brown hair and a plain face shares. Features easy to forget.

"Could be a different case." One man shook the story off. Yet the young man continues- insists it may be the same shoe stealer. "But that's not what was odd. The man may have been stabbed to death, and his shoes were no longer there, instead, there was a silver watch wrapped around his ankle. Sort of like the princess and the bangle and scarf on her feet."

"Where did you say it was again?"

"Wiswonda, in West Blue, close to the Calm Belt." And Sabo remembers… Oh so he's the Shoe Stealer… But he doesn't want to be called that. What kind of undignified name is "The Legendary Shoe Stealer"?

"Oh, so even you guys know it? The Phantom Shoe Thief, that's what the people of Jonggula called it." Sabo added once he got his own pint of ale. The people on the bar counter looked him over once. After they deemed him well and passing some type of personal standards, they moved and made space for Sabo to sit on a stool, inviting him into their conversation.

Sabo took the offered spot and started telling his tale. "I just came from Jonggula a few months back, and they said they suddenly lost, what, 10-14 crates of the killed soldier's boots overnight and got pieces of gold chains wrapped on the dead soldier's feet the next morning. I didn't believe it either when the women said it was the Phantom Shoe Thief from East Blue, just like what the old man was talking about."

"Jonggula? Isn't that the military kingdom that killed off its men? I heard something about missing military boots too." Albert confirms. "Although, the news came from the newspaper, and said the mass graves of all the men were wrapped in gold chains, and not just their feet."

"Well, the Phantom Thief Legend sounded really believable, and something similar happened in East Blue about 30 years ago. The women in Jonggula said it was so similar to that case with the islands Gold Roger docked at, that they decide to call the guy the Phantom Shoe Thief instead, like the one in East Blue." Sabo makes it up of course, but hey, he's riding the old legend the drunkard was talking about, so it isn't entirely a lie, right?

"If it happened 30 years ago, I would have guessed it were some old fart like Shiki doing the thievery, but with all the rumors 'flying' around, what use does Shiki have to do with shoes? He doesn't even have feet anymore?" The people in the bar laughed it off. Everyone knew what happened to Shiki, the old rival of White Beard and Gold Roger. The very first escapee of Impel Down who cut off his own feet and used his powers to escape. He was already a legend, but probably not the Phantom Shoe Thief of today.

By the end of the drunken talk, everyone was already using the "Phantom Shoe Thief" to refer to the Shoe Stealer, and Sabo couldn't be any more satisfied with the results. Now he'd just have to leave his marks the next time he needs a new pair of boots. Who knows, maybe the people of the future would figure out the Legendary Shoe Stealer from the East Blue and the Phantom Shoe Thief are two entirely different people with no connection to each other… or do they?

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Hahaha**,,,** more crack! :D I'm so pleased with this, I'm just gonna quickly post the last one of this tri-chapter fic! This is sooo not over! :D :D :D**

** :D Enjoy!**


	3. The Legend of the Shoe Stealer

**THE LEGENDARY SHOE STEALER**

"Shanks! Get back here and help me load this stuff! Don't fuckin' skip your work you stupid Red-head!" Buggy complains at Shanks, the boy was playing with his wooden sword. Actually, he was training with his wooden sword, but Buggy thinks the pertinacious brat was just playing around. In reality, Buggy knows Shanks had potential but refuses to acknowledge it until the day the brat learns responsibility and actually do his job instead of passing it off to him.

The Oro Jackson was docked in an island in East Blue, a relatively calm sea, compared to the Grand Line. The home sea of their Captain too. Today, they were in a nice looking kingdom, rich looking with its own monarchy and nobles and citizens.

The Kingdom of Goa was a clean city, and Buggy was in awe. It wasn't what he expected to see in East Blue of all places, but then again, one way or another, a bunch of ambitious people are bound to make their own hierarchy and a place they belong to for themselves, just like this kingdom was built on the hard work and sweat of the poor who the ambitious people want to exploit. Truthfully, Buggy wants to be one of those people, he was ambitious, and he loved gold and dreams to be powerful and wealthy.

But right now, Buggy had to get stronger, smarter and overall better than Shanks, and that would require lots more effort and energy than he has because, in Buggy's point of view, Shanks was a monster. He was leagues ahead of him and so impossible to reach.

Then there was this guy who calls himself Dragon. The guy who hitched a ride from Twin Capes to Goa, who is the main reason why the Oro Jackson was docked on Goa in the first place.

The guy was just a few years older than Buggy, and he was already buddy-buddy with Shanks and the Captain, despite only being there for a month. The guy was obnoxious, in Buggy's opinion. He barely talks, but when he does, he says thing either in a cryptic manner or a vengeful manner (directed mostly at abusive people of power).

The guy barely smiles and yet the Captain likes him already. Dragon asks for the most unreasonable things too, like docking in an island and letting people board and escorting these people (mostly refugees, sure but they're still just civilian passengers even he doesn't know, and the risks are so high but the Captain lets him and how is he sure they aren't tricking him?) to their home islands.

Sure, the guy has good intentions, but the way he asks for them is very demanding. Well, maybe not that demanding, its just simple things, (but it makes the biggest impact and he always asks for it politely, and it's hard to turn down because he does ask for things which are not out of the way). Of course, this is the same Dragon who wants the Roger Pirates to wait for him to return before we can depart, and who knows how long that would take!

Apparently, it only took 5 hours. But by then he had an outfit change that Buggy was certain he didn't own before. (I mean, Red hair and I were the ones who do laundry, those are defiantly not his clothes. I have never seen him wear such things such as a vest and a napkin-neck tie thing.) Not to mention, he had new boots. The last time Buggy checked, his boots were drenched in the last storm and they were drying on the deck.

"Nice boots, where'd you get them Dragon?" Buggy asks casually.

Dragon doesn't respond. That bothered Buggy. Dragon would usually say something quickly, even if it were just one word. The look on Dragon's face was a mixture of nothing and something. Like a child trying to keep a secret by processing the question and making something up in their heads.

"Your answer took too long. You're gonna tell me a lie aren't cha? Better to just not tell me anything, sheesh." Buggy complains as he continues on to work. Shouting for Shanks to get back to loading his share of crates. Buggy wasn't mad. Why would he be mad? They have nothing on Dragon. He isn't even their nakama. He can keep his secrets for all he cares.

Then came the day Dragon finally left their ship when they were sailing through the islands in Paradise. They left him quickly and without preamble. He'd left all his things in his quarters and Buggy wonders why the heck was there multiple shoes and boots in the closet… Now that he thinks about it, Dragon may be the Shoe Stealer from East Blue that they heard so much about. Shoes- Good Shoes don't come by cheap, and Dragon's stash had about 20 of them. And is that genuine leather? And… rhyme stone studded? How the heck did that guy get these? Wait. All of them were genuine leather! And very costly. Buggy's mouth waters just thinking about the cost of selling these shoes.

This was one secret Buggy would take to his grave. For now, he'll just stash all of these in his closet and sell them in the next few islands he'll come across on. And from then on, the Legend of the Shoe Stealer was kept forever a secret without an answer. OR at least until Buggy confesses his knowledge.

**END**

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**It's a short fic, actually, I was thinking this should have been a Dragon Fic. We don't know much about Dragon, but if he did eat a devil fruit, I was thinking he should have the Shoe Shoe fruit. Whoever eats the fruit and wears the shoes of other people will gain the power, appearance, voice or whatever personality or trait of the person the shoes belong to. An idea taken from the saying "Walk in someone elses shoes".**

**I was thinking that Dragon may have used the boots and shoes of the rich nobles to change a few laws and legislation and gather intelligence and what not.**

**It's just **some** out of the way thought.**

**Well, Thank you, dear readers, for reading, commenting, favoriting, following and simply existing! :D**


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